Australia Telescope Compact Array
The Australia Telescope Compact Array is a radio telescope operated by Commonwealth Scientific and [Industrial Research Organisation|CSIRO] at the Paul Wild Observatory, twenty five kilometres west of the town of Narrabri, [New South Wales|Narrabri] in New South Wales, Australia. Its opening ceremony took place on September 2, 1988.
Overview
The telescope is an array of six identical diameter dishes, which commonly operate in aperture synthesis mode to produce radio images. Five of the dishes can be moved along a three-kilometre railway track oriented east-west. The sixth antenna is situated three kilometres west of the end of the main track. Each dish weighs approximately.The Compact Array is a part of the Australia Telescope National Facility network of radio telescopes. The array is frequently operated together with other CSIRO telescopes, the dish at the Parkes Observatory and a single dish at Mopra, to form a very long baseline interferometry array.
The Array welcomes visitors from the general public. The facility includes a Visitor's Centre where the operations of the array can be observed in comfort and shade, and it has a range of informational displays and audiovisual presentations, while the surrounding grounds have displays and activities for visitors. Open Days are run regularly, and to mark special events such as the anniversary of the first Moon landing, or major anniversaries of the telescope itself.
The children's/teen's television adventure series Sky Trackers was filmed in this facility in 1993, with the radio telescopes being prominently featured.